Environmental Hazard Crisis - Case Study

Situation

A developer in the early stages of constructing a mixed-use development in a fast-growing community very close to a large, high-profile U.S. city discovered a serious environmental issue. A large semi-toxic chemical plume was growing under the property and spreading to a nearby neighborhood. While the developer could have saved significant resources by abandoning the project, they did the responsible thing and invested millions of dollars into a clean-up effort.

Task

Intrepid was engaged to help develop and execute a multi-dimensional campaign to inform and provide ongoing communication to residents and other key stakeholders throughout the cleanup effort.

Action

Developed strategic plan and messaging

Collaborated with legal counsel on response strategy and execution

Researched and developed communication materials

Prepared executives for meetings with local and state government officials

Organized neighborhood and community outreach

Conducted media spokesperson training

Developed media strategy

Formulated ongoing messaging, response and materials

Result

Intrepid worked with the developer over a 24-month period to develop and execute the effort, which informed, updated and resolved issues and concerns with residents and key stakeholders. The strategic response helped the developer to avoid litigation and also prevented the story from spreading to media in the nearby city.